Editing Purpure

{{Short description|Heraldic tincture}}
{{Infobox heraldic tincture
|title                   = Purpure
|class                   = Colour
|non-heraldic_equivalent = [[Purple]]
|hatching                = {{Hatching colors|Purpure}}
|hex                     = 800080
|tricking                = p., pu., purp.
|gemstone                = [[Amethyst]]
|planet                  = [[Mercury (planet)|Mercury]]
|virtue                  = [[Temperance (virtue)|Temperance]]
}}
In [[heraldry]], '''purpure''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|p|ɜːr|p|j|ʊər}}) is a [[tincture (heraldry)|tincture]], equivalent to the colour [[purple]], and is one of the five main or most usually used ''colours'' (as opposed to ''metals''). It may be portrayed in [[engraving]]s by a series of parallel lines at a 45-degree angle running from upper right to lower left from the point of view of an observer, or else indicated by the abbreviation '''purp'''.

[[File:Flag of Early Medieval Kingdom of Leon.svg|thumb|Banner used during the reign of [[Alfonso VII of León and Castile|Alfonso VII]] of León (1105-1157)]]
Purpure has existed since the earliest periods, for example in the purpure lion of the arms of [[Kingdom of León|León]]; at that time, it was painted in a greyer shade. However, it has never been as common as the other colours, and this has led to some controversy as to whether it should be counted among the common colours. In French heraldry, the colour is usually excluded from the common colours as well as considered "ambiguous" (could be either ''colour'' or ''metal''), and Finnish heraldry restricts its use to certain additaments.<ref name="finnpurpure">{{cite web|title=Heraldiset värit|url=http://www.heraldica.fi/Vaakuna/Vaakunan_varit/varit.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130730220202/http://www.heraldica.fi/Vaakuna/Vaakunan_varit/varit.htm|website=The Heraldic Society of Finland|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|language=fi|url-status=live|archive-date=30 July 2013}}</ref>

There is at least one instance of it being blazoned as "Imperial Purple".<ref>{{cite web |last=Cilia La Corte |first=John |title=Sperver |url=http://www.dictionaryofheraldry.com/Sperver.htm |access-date=1 January 2012 |website=Dictionary of Heraldry}} {{dead link|date=May 2023}}</ref> One of the most expensive colours to acquire in ancient times, [[Tyrian purple]] was used in the war banner of Byzantine Emperor [[List of Byzantine emperors#Komnenid dynasty|Komnenos]]: Purpur (porphyr red) a double-headed eagle displayed Or.

==Poetic meanings==
The different tinctures are traditionally associated with particular heavenly bodies, precious stones, virtues, and flowers, although these associations have been mostly disregarded by serious heraldists.<ref name=Oxford>{{cite book|first1= Thomas|last1= Woodcock|author-link1= Thomas Woodcock (officer of arms)|first2= John Martin|last2= Robinson|authorlink2= John Martin Robinson|title= The Oxford Guide to Heraldry|location= Oxford|year= 1988|publisher= [[Oxford University Press]]|isbn= 0-19-211658-4|pages=53–54}}</ref> Purpure is associated with:
* Of jewels, the [[amethyst]]<ref>{{cite book | last = Elvin | first = Charles Norton | year = 1889 | title = A Dictionary of Heraldry | url = https://archive.org/details/cu31924029796426 |page=5 }}</ref>
* Of heavenly bodies, [[Mercury (planet)|Mercury]]<ref name=Oxford/><ref>Elvin, p. 89.</ref> (however, Western alchemy associates the amethyst with Jupiter). The planet Mercury is further associated with the element mercury or "quicksilver" in traditional [[Classical planets in western alchemy|alchemical/occultistic lore]].
* Of virtues, [[Temperance (virtue)|temperance]]<ref name=Oxford/>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Emblem of the kingdom of León of Alfonso IX of Leon.jpg|Arms of the Kingdom of León, displayed in the ''Tumbo A'' manuscript.
File:Blason ville fr Mauves-sur-Loire (Loire-Atlantique).svg|Arms of [[Mauves-sur-Loire]] city (Loire-Atlantique)
File:HakewillArms.png|Arms of Hakewill of Exeter, Devon.
File:Zijpe wapen.svg|Coat of arms of the former Dutch municipality of [[Zijpe]].
File:Coat of Arms of Klyonovskoe (Moscow Oblast).png|Coat of Arms of Klyonovskoe settlement (Moscow, Russia).
File:DeneArms.png|Arms of Dene of Newton St Petrock, Devon.
File:Arms of Jo Cox.svg|Arms of British MP [[Jo Cox]], installed in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom]]
File:MMV.png|Arms of the Portuguese municipality of [[Montemor-o-Velho]]
File:Coat of arms of Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer.svg|Arms of Cardinal [[Luis Ladaria Ferrer]]
File:Kingdom_of_Leon_Arms.svg|Coat of arms of [[Kingdom of León]]
File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Castile_and_Leon.svg|[[Coat of arms of Castile and León]]
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Born in the purple]] ("''Porphyrogennetos''")
*[[Tyrian purple]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Purpure (purple in heraldry)|Purpure}}
*[http://www.heraldica.org/topics/purpure.htm Heraldica.org:] Purpure, discussion based on [[Michel Pastoureau]], ''Traité d'Héraldique.''
*[http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/es).html#lio Red vs. Purple Lions]

{{Heraldry}}
[[Category:Colours (heraldry)]]
[[Category:Shades of magenta]]
[[Category:Shades of violet]]